Baseball game

ABSTRACT

A game device simulating the game of baseball incorporating a playing surface simulating a baseball field, a swingable bat mounted at a homeplate position and a spinner type chance device. The game is characterized by the provision of an upwardly and outwardly curved outfield wall including a pitching guide down which a ball is rolled toward the batter. The curved outfield wall terminates in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuation of the simulated foul lines of the simulated baseball field. If the ball is struck by the bat, it may be launched by the curved wall into a path of flight, and if not caught by the pitcher, will constitute a successful play for the batter, the type of advance to be determined from the spinner device.

llited States Patent 91 arlow I54] BASEBALL GAME [75] Inventor: Gordon A. Barlow, Evanston, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates [22] Filed: Nov. 28, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 880,698

3,101,197 8/1963 Schulz 273/89 2,444,516 7/1948 Lenbom 273/90 2,003,145 5/1935 Graver 273/89 3,358,997 12/1967 Belz ..273/89 3,525,320 8/1970 Dekan ..273/89 X OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1968 p. 480 Sandlot Sears Christmas Catalog Slugger.

[ 1 Jan. 9, 1973 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & Mc- Cord [57] ABSTRACT A game device simulating the game of baseball incorporating a playing surface simulating a baseball field, a swingable bat mounted at a homeplate position and a spinner type chance device. The game is characterized by the provision of an upwardly and outwardly curved outfield wall including a pitching guide down which a ball is rolled toward the batter. The curved outfield wall terminates in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuation of the simulated foul lines of the simulated baseball field. If the ball is struck by the bat, it may be launched by the curved wall into a path of flight, and if not caught by the pitcher, will constitute a successful play for the batter, the type of advance to be determined from the spinner device.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOI? GOPDO/VA. 5 44 1 0W Mu, m WM ATTORNEYS W MW BASEBALL GAME.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention This invention is related to game devices, more particularly, to a simulated baseball game.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art The game of baseball, itself, is well-known. The game employs as main contestants a batter and a pitcher. If the batter hits the ball thrown by the pitcher, there is the possibility of some of the defensive players, generally called the fielders catching the ball in flight or catching it and throwing it to first base before the batter reaches the base.

Many amusement games simulating the game of baseball have been provided. Typically, such games may utilize a chance type spinner device to determine whether or not the batter has made a successful play in his turn at bat. Some other games may employ actual physical attempts at launching a simulated ball. However, heretofore in the art there has been little opportunity for the contestants to actually attempt to launch a ball into a flight path so that the opposing contestant may have an opportunity to catch the ball on a fly before it lands on some other surface. Moreover, there has been little relationship between the chance spinner device and any direct physical attempt to successfully strike a ball or the like. Accordingly, a need and desire has arisen in the art to provide a simulated baseball game which will enable a batter to launch a ball into a path of flight and further which may incorporate a chance element, such as a spinner device, together with direct physical activity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed, in brief, to the provision of an improved simulated baseball game.

The best mode currently contemplated by me for carrying out the invention includes the provision of a simulated baseball park with a baseball infield and homeplate thereon. A pivoted bat is mounted at homeplate. The outfield wall is upwardly and outwardly curved and includes a central channel down which a ball is rolled by the opposing player. The player at bat attempts to strike the ball by swinging the bat. If the bat is swung so that it does strike the ball, the ball may travel towards the outfield wall, and, if hit with sufficient velocity, may be launched into a pattern of flight by traversing up the wall. It is then up to the opposing player to attempt to catch the ball while still in flight. If the opposing player does not so catch the ball, then the batter has a successful term of bat, the type of success to be determined by a chance device, preferably of the spinner type. The chance device could be activated before or after the players turn at bat. In either event, it might indicate that the batter has drawn a base on balls or made a two base hit, or a single ora homerun. Nonetheless, none of these successful possibilities will be awarded unless the batter successfully launches the ball into flight which is not caught by the opposing player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the game device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken top plan view of the device as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section view taken generally along the lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view of a simulated base runner utilized with the game of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a view of a score marker utilized with the game of this invention.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a specific embodiment therefor, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the game 10 of this invention includes a game board 12 simulating a baseball park mounted on a frame 12a. The game board includes an infield area 14 and outfield area 16. The infield area includes a homeplate 18a and apertures 18b, 18c and 18d spaced in a rectangular pattern relative thereto and simulating first, second and third base, respectively. It is intended that in the play of the game a simulated base runner 19 having a depending peg 19a could be mounted in the various apertures 18b, 18c and 18d to indicate the position of offensive runners on the bases of the infield.

The game board further includes foul lines 20a and 20b and recesses 22 and 24 which simulate baseball dugouts. The outer confines of the outfield area 16 is bounded by a generally concave arcuate outfield wall 26 affording an upwardly and outwardly curved ball launching surface. Wall 26 terminates in transverse wall portions 26a and 26b which are linear extensions of foul lines 20a and 20b. Medially provided ribs 28a and 28b define a channel to be utilized for simulated pitching as will be explained later.

The remainder of the board is bounded by walls 30 and 32 which generally parallel foul lines 20a and 20b, respectively. Walls 30 and 32 terminate in recessed transverse wall portions 31a and 31b which terminate at transverse wall portions 26a and 26b, respectively, thereby providing a means for easily discerning if a hit ball was fair or foul." The tops of each of walls 30 and 32 are provided with openings 30a and 32a for receiving a simulated ball-like marker 34 to indicate runs scored for each team. A generally curvalinear wall section 36 joins walls 30 and 32 in the area behind homeplate 18a.

A simulated baseball bat 38 having a depending post 40 is swingably mounted in a sleeve 42 adjacent to homeplate so that the bat overlies the homeplate 18a. On the other side of the board 12 the post 40 is connected to a gear 44, which, in turn, is connected to a gear 46 that depends by means of pin 48 from hub 50 in the underside of the board frame. Gear 46 is, in turn, in meshing engagement with a gear 52 pivoted on a shaft 54 which extends upwardly through sleeve 56 in the game board 12 in the area adjacent homeplate, but to the rear thereof. A knob 58 is affixed to the shaft 54 for rotating the gear 52 and thereby, through gears 46 and 44, pivoting the bat 38 in its overlying relationship to homeplate 18a to simulate the swing of the hat by a batter.

It is further contemplated that a chance device 60 could be used in association with the game. The chance device 60 includes a spinner 62 pivoted to a board 64 which is divided into a plurality of chance zones 66a through 66f. For example, zone 66a may be a zone indicative of a homerun, zone 66b a zone indicative of a single, 66c a zone indicative of a double, 66d a zone indicative of a triple, 66s a zone indicative of a. base on balls, 66f a zone indicative of an error, and so on. It is to be understood that the zones described herein are merely illustrative and that more zones could be provided and that the width of the zones could be adjusted to varying degree of difficulty.

In use, one player pitches to another player by means of rolling a ball down the channel defined between ribs 28a and 2812 on outfield wall 26. The player who is at bat manipulates the bat by rotating the knob 58. Thus, as the ball'rolls toward the bat, the knob 58 is rotated and hopefully the bat strikes the ball. In order to have a successful turn at bat, the ball must roll back towards the outfield wall between the foul lines, be launched into a path of flight and not caught in flight by the pitching player. In such event, resort is had to the chance device 60 to see what kind of successful turn at bat the player had. If the spinner stopped in the zone for homerun, it would be considered that the player hit a homerun. If the spinner stopped in the zone for a two base hit, it would be presumed that the player hit a double. If the spinner stopped in the zone marked for base on balls, it would be presumed that the player had been given what is commonly known as a walk." Thus, one

of the simulated base runners 19 may be positioned in the appropriate opening 18b, 18c or 18d, depending upon the location of the spinner 62 on chance device 60. Rules provided with the game may more specifically designate the degree of advance of the players depending upon the type of successful turn at bat. The game progresses in the usual fashion for the rules of the game baseball, with three outs constituting the end of a half-inning and the players reversing roles so that the pitcher becomes the batter and so forth.

Thus, it can be seen that the baseball game device of this invention combines the uncertainties of a chance device with the necessity for direct physical skill in manipulating a simulated bat as well as physical skill in attempting to catch a ball in flight, for the successful play of the game. In this fashion, the players get the actual feel of participating in batting and fielding as opposed to completely rely ing upon a passive device such as the chance device. In all other aspects, the play of the game generally resembles the play of the regular game of baseball so that the game should be easily understandable and playable by persons of wide age groups.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for cleamess of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A simulated baseball game comprising: playing surface means defining a simulated baseball field and simulated homeplate, and infield and foul lines; simulated bat means pivoted for swinging movement in a generally horizontal plane about a generally upright mounting adjacent to the simulated homeplate; actuating means remote from the bat means for imparting swinging movement thereto including motion transmitting elements connecting the pivotal mounting of the bat to the actuating means and ball launching member spaced outwardly from the infield and extends in an are between the simulated foul lines, said ball launching member having a generally upwardly and outwardly extending surface which is generally concave in' section and terminates in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuation of the simulated foul lines of the game board, whereby a ball struck by said bat means during the swinging movement thereof may be propelled to said ball launching surface and launched upwardly therefrom into a path of flight.

2. A baseball game comprising: a playing board including surface means defining a baseball field and home plate, and infield and foul lines; bat means mounted at the home plate for swinging movement thereacross; means for imparting swinging movement to said bat; and a ball launching member spaced outwardly from the infield and extending continuously in an are between the simulated foul lines, said ball launching member terminating in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuationof the simulated foul lines of the game board,v said ball launching member being a generally upwardly facing concave surface joined smoothly with the infield, said ball launching member further including pitching means; whereby a ball may be smoothly rolled downwardly from the top of said ball launching member toward home plate simulating a pitched ball and whereby a ball struck by the bat means during the swinging movement thereof may be propelled to the ball launching surface and launched upwardly therefrom into any number of infinite paths of flight with respect to the home plate. 

1. A simulated baseball game comprising: playing surface means defining a simulated baseball field and simulated homeplate, and infield and foul lines; simulated bat means pivoted for swinging movement in a generally horizontal plane about a generally upright mounting adjacent to the simulated homeplate; actuating means remote from the bat means for imparting swinging movement thereto including motion transmitting elements connecting the pivotal mounting of the bat to the actuating means and ball launching member spaced outwardly from the infield and extends in an arc between the simulated foul lines, said ball launching member having a geNerally upwardly and outwardly extending surface which is generally concave in section and terminates in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuation of the simulated foul lines of the game board, whereby a ball struck by said bat means during the swinging movement thereof may be propelled to said ball launching surface and launched upwardly therefrom into a path of flight.
 2. A baseball game comprising: a playing board including surface means defining a baseball field and home plate, and infield and foul lines; bat means mounted at the home plate for swinging movement thereacross; means for imparting swinging movement to said bat; and a ball launching member spaced outwardly from the infield and extending continuously in an arc between the simulated foul lines, said ball launching member terminating in transverse wall surfaces comprising a continuation of the simulated foul lines of the game board, said ball launching member being a generally upwardly facing concave surface joined smoothly with the infield, said ball launching member further including pitching means; whereby a ball may be smoothly rolled downwardly from the top of said ball launching member toward home plate simulating a pitched ball and whereby a ball struck by the bat means during the swinging movement thereof may be propelled to the ball launching surface and launched upwardly therefrom into any number of infinite paths of flight with respect to the home plate. 